Jamie Blanks, 'Urban Legend' director, dies at 54
Jamie Blanks, the Australian filmmaker best known for cult horror hits Urban Legend and Valentine, has passed away at 54.
His family shared the news on Friday, mentioning he'd been unwell lately but his death was still unexpected.
At the time, he was working on a new project and helping out fellow filmmakers.
Looking at his career in brief
A Swinburne Film School grad, Blanks kicked off his career with the short film < em>Silent Number before making it big with Urban Legend in 1998, a movie that brought together stars like Alicia Witt and Jared Leto and made over $70 million worldwide.
He followed up with Valentine (2001), took home Screamfest awards for Storm Warning (2007), and even composed music for other films.
He often credited John Carpenter as a major influence on his work.